


Tip of My Tongue

by Monsterunderthefedora



Series: The Misadventures of a Witcher and His Bard [8]
Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Has Feelings, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Whump, Hurt Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Jaskier | Dandelion Loves Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, M/M, Protective Jaskier | Dandelion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:07:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25336597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Monsterunderthefedora/pseuds/Monsterunderthefedora
Summary: Why did Geralt's voice sound like that? Jaskier asks and finds out all too well the horrors Geralt went through as a child.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia & Jaskier | Dandelion, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: The Misadventures of a Witcher and His Bard [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1738909
Comments: 4
Kudos: 151





	Tip of My Tongue

"Why do you sound like that?" Geralt looked up from the sword he was sharpening. The witcher made a face.

"Like...what?"

"So gruff and raspy. I mean no tense but you sound like you gargled sand." Jaskier stoked the fire as he spoke. "Not all witchers sound like that, do they?"

"No." Geralt didn't elaborate further.

"What happened? Smoked too much a couple of years and fucked your voice up?"

"Jaskier."

"Or perhaps you spent it all yelling at monsters?"

"Stop."

"Maybe you-"

"Jaskier, shut the hell up!" Geralt snapped at the bard. "None of that happened and it would do you well to drop the topic." Jaskier put his hands on his hips with a huff. 

"What? Is it some deep dark secret you have to hide away? Geralt as your friend you can tell me about this kind of thing." By now Geralt had set his sword aside. He looked as if contemplating something before he spoke.

"The mutagens." Geralt finally said, Jaskier taking a seat next to him. "I was doing better than Vesemir expected so they wanted to try something new."

"New?" 

"It wasn't like the others. It was a potion." Jaskier watched as Geralt's face contorted. His hand going to his throat. "It hurt. Like pure fire being forced down my throat." Geralt sounded in pain as he recalled this. "I was on the floor for so long they thought I'd never get back up."

Jaskier knew the path to becoming a witcher wasn't humane. But the fact this man, trusted with Geralt put him through even more pain just to...what? Test something out?

"By the time I stopped writhing in agony my voice was gone." Geralt's voice broke off. "It burned my esophagus. It took months before I was able to talk through the pain." 

"Does...does it still hurt?"

"I'm used to it now." Jaskier thought back to all the times he'd tried to get Geralt to talk. Singing...Gods could he even sing?

"That's why you don't talk..."

"I talk. To the people worth talking to." Geralt had a small smile that quickly faded. "I like to hear you sing. Sometimes. It makes me want to-Jaskier?" The bard had stood up. A dangerous look on his face as he approached Roache, searching for something in her pack. "What are you doing?"

"Where the fuck is Kaer Morhen?" Jaskier took out a map. 

"Jaskier-"

"I'm going to go up there and kick that old fuck's ass myself. Who the fuck does that to a child?"

"Jaskier it's not that bad." Geralt voice was quiet.

"Not that bad? Geralt, they took your voice. That's disgusting. They put you through all that shit and on top of it take away the only way you have left to express yourself?"

"Jaskier, it's fine." Geralt got up, trying to take the map away from Jaskier but the bard pulled his hand back.

"No Geralt, it's not fine! None of what you went through there was fine!" 

"You think I don't know that?" Geralt asked, jerking the map towards him. "You think I don't know what they did to me was one of the worst things you could do to a child? You think I don't know that I was the only boy in my group to survive was fucked up? It was! But if I held onto that every day of my life, I'd be a miserable wreck who wouldn't even bother waking up." Jaskier stared at his witcher. Geralt couldn't cry he knew that. But something told him if he could, he would. "But you wouldn't understand that."

"I don't." Jaskier admitted. Letting go of the map completely. "But I want to."

"Why?"

"You're my friend Geralt. I want to help you. Yes you're an ass sometimes but I care about you." 

"I.. " Geralt seemed unsure what to say. Jaskier decided to bridge the gap. Hugging the witcher tightly. "What on Earth are you doing?"

"It's called a hug Geralt. You definitely need one." The white haired man didn't protest.


End file.
